newsobserver.com projects - Female Firsts in North Carolina - Comments

Re: Female Firsts in North Carolina

collar — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:05:15 -0500

The first female NC Secretary of State was Janice Faulkner - she was appointed in 1996 by then Gov. Hunt to replace Rufus Edmisten who resigned.

Re: Charlotte News editorial from 1937 on Wohl candidacy

gercohen — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:51:29 -0500

"Yeah, but did anyone run before them? I don't want to assume they were the first without something saying that."

I checked the North Carolina Manuals for 1921, 1925, 1929, and 1933 to check the election returns for 1920-1932. Unfortunately, pre 1936 for council of state they only bothered to publush the results of Democratic primaries, no women there, but there are no records of Democratic candidates who faced no primary, and no record of Republican candidates at all for the Council of State. So I can not vouch for anything pre 1936 as to whether there were any female candidates. Guess being a one party state with a one party state government lead to a shortfall on the historical record.

Re: Charlotte News editorial from 1937 on Wohl candidacy

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:28:23 -0500

Yeah, but did anyone run before them? I don't want to assume they were the first without something saying that.

— RTB

I. Beverly Lake (both)

cornbread — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:57:47 -0500

For Gosh...

Senator Jesse, Congressperson Robin and Mayor Patty...

Gosh — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:15:23 -0500

Were all Female Firsts in North Carolina.

Bottom line. No Republican can even make a fair showing in this state without a ballot name pretending to be a woman.

Pat McHenry for Queen of the Universe!

Re: Female Firsts in North Carolina

samwatts — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:03:48 -0500

In 1587, Elizabeth I became the first Queen of North Carolina! :)

Charlotte News editorial from 1937 on Wohl candidacy

gercohen — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:50:30 -0500

"I cut it for now until we can resolve the issue. Not that I don't believe you, Gerry... "
uh, Ryan, I posted inline in an earlier comment the link to the North Carolina Manual for 1937, the official state publication that catalogues election returns for 1936.

Below is a Charlotte News editorial from 11/11/1937 that talks about her unsuccessful 1936 campaign
http://www.wjcash.org/WJCash9/Charlotte.News.Articles/11-11-37.htm
Oh, Lady; Don't!
The report from Raleigh is that Senator Bailey's jesting remark that a woman ought to enter the contest to take Bob Reynolds' toga away from him, has Mrs. Helen Robertson Wohl of Guilford giving serious thought to doing just that. Mrs. Wohl ran under the McDonald aegis for State Treasurer last year and got something like 100,000 votes. Besides, she is a prohibitionist, which would give her the United Dry vote as a nest egg, and she is, we say, a woman, and that would give Bob competition in the quarter he is strongest.
.....

Hard copy of the North Carolina Manual is in the library here. The 1960 election I cite is in the 1961 North Carolina Manual.

Re: earlier female candidates 1936 and 1960

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:20:42 -0500

I cut it for now until we can resolve the issue. Not that I don't believe you, Gerry...

— RTB

Re: earlier female candidates 1936 and 1960

gercohen — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:15:19 -0500

Margaret Harper unsuccessfully ran for Lt Gov in both 1968 and 1972, so you could say she was the first woman to run twice for statewide executive office.

Re: earlier female candidates 1936 and 1960

ryanteaguebeckwith — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:06:46 -0500

Checking with our research staff. Will update when I hear back.

— RTB

earlier female candidates 1936 and 1960

gercohen — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:48:37 -0500

"STATEWIDE CANDIDATE: In 1968, Margaret Taylor Harper entered the race for lieutenant governor, becoming the first woman to run for statewide executive office."

Margaret Harper lost the Democratic primary that year,

Mary Jo Zachary was the Republican candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction in 1960. She did not have a primary, and lost the general election.

Helen Robertson Wohl ran in the Democratic primary for State Treasurer in 1936 but lost.
see North Carolina Manual for 1937:
http://www.archive.org/stream/northcarolinaman1937nort/northcarolinaman1937nort_djvu.txt

Female Firsts in North Carolina

ryanteaguebeckwith — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:04:57 -0500

Gov.-elect Beverly Perdue will be the state's first female governor.

But it won't be the only first for women in North Carolina. Below, a list of other female firsts compiled by N&O researcher Brooke Cain.

STATE REPRESENTATIVE: In 1920, Lillian Exum Clement of Buncombe County was the first woman elected to the state House and first female Southern legislator.

DEPARTMENT HEAD: In 1921, Kate Burr Johnson of Morganton was the first woman in the country to serve as state commissioner of public welfare and the first woman to head a major department.

STATE SENATOR: Gertrude Dills McKee was elected the first female state senator in 1931.

CONGRESSWOMAN: In 1946, Eliza Jane Pratt became the first woman to represent North Carolina in Congress.

SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE: In 1949, Susie Sharp became the state's first female Superior Court judge.

SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: In 1962, Sharp became the first woman to serve on the N.C. Supreme Court.

BIG CITY MAYOR: In 1977, Isabella Cannon was elected the mayor of Raleigh, the first female mayor of a major North Carolina city.

ELECTED PROSECUTOR: In the late 1980s, Jean Powell became the state's first elected district attorney, winning in Hoke and Scotland counties' District 16A.

BLACK CONGRESSWOMAN: In 1992, Eva Clayton was elected the first African-American Congresswoman from North Carolina.

SHERIFF: In 1994, Barbara Pickens was elected sheriff of Lincoln County, the state's first female sheriff.

COUNCIL OF STATE (APPOINTED): In March of 1996, Gov. Jim Hunt appointed Janice Faulkner the first female secretary of state and the first woman on the Council of State.

COUNCIL OF STATE (ELECTED): In the fall of 1996, Elaine Marshall became the first elected female secretary of state and the first woman elected to the Council of State.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR: In 2000, Perdue was elected the state's first female lieutenant governor.

LABOR COMMISSIONER: In 2000, Cherie Berry was elected the first female labor commissioner.

AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER: In 2000, Meg Scott Phipps was elected the first female agriculture commissioner.

U.S. SENATOR: In 2002, Elizabeth Dole was elected the first female U.S. senator in North Carolina.

SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT: In 2005, June St. Clair Atkinson became the first female superintendent of public instruction.

STATE TREASURER: In 2008, state Sen. Janet Cowell was elected the first female state treasurer in North Carolina.

STATE AUDITOR: In 2008, Beth Wood was elected the first female state auditor.

COUNCIL OF STATE MAJORITY: In 2008, six women — Marshall, Berry, Atkinson, Perdue, Cowell and Wood — made up the first female majority of the 10-member Council of State.

Are we missing anybody? Let us know in the comment thread.